Fire-escape



(No Model.)

F. A. WES TBROOK;

FIRE ESQAPE.

No. 375,031. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. \VESTBROOK, OF PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK.

, FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.375,031,dated December20. 1887.

Application filed September 21, 1887.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, FRANK A. WEsTBRooK, of Port Jervis, in the county ofOrange and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire- Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the inven' tion, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in fire-escapes; and it consistsin the combination of a frictional frame, which is composed of two partsand through which the main supportingrope passes, with suitable guidesand pulleys connected to one of the parts of the frame, and throughwhich passes the rope which is to be passed around the body of theperson being lowered to the ground, and a pivoted operating cam orhandle by means of which the two parts of the frictional frame are madeto tightly close upon the main rope, so as to stop the persons descentat any desired point, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to produce a fire-escape in which the ropewhich passes around the body of the person being lowered to the groundis made to act as a frictionbrake uponthe main rope, and thus the weightof the person being lowered is made to automatically regulate thedescent to the ground.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a fire-escape whichembodies my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge View of the same. Fig. 3 is aninverted view. Fig. 4 shows a modification.

A B represent the two parts of a frictional frame, through which themain rope 0 passes. The two parts A B are pivoted together, and the holeD in the part B, through which the pivotal bolt E passes, is madeoblong, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the two parts can have a slight playor movement in relation to each other, and thus be made to close moretightly upon therope C than could be done if the parts were simplypivoted together. The length of the two parts AB will be regulated tosuit the amount of friction it is desired to bring upon the rope 0.

Serial No. 250,322. (No model.)

Cast in a single piece with the part B, or secured thereto in anysuitable manner, is the guide and bearing G, which extends at rightangles to the twolparts A B, and which extends at both ends beyond theouter sides of the frictional frame, as shown in Fig. 1. In one end ofthis bearing is pivoted an operating clamp or lever, H, and in theopposite end are journaled the two guiding-pulleys I, which areseparated from each other by about the width of the part B of thefrictional frame. The rope J, which is to be passed around the body ofthe person who is making. a de scent from the burning building, ispassed around the outer side of the part A of the frame, through theguide, and over the pulleys I, an d then hangs downward to anyconvenient distance to be formed into a loop or to befastened around thebody of the person descending as may be preferred. Connected to thisrope J is a plate, L,-for the person to catch hold of, while descending,with one hand, while the clamping-lever is grasped by the other. As therope J passes around the outer side of the part A of the friction-frameit will be seen, that the whole weight of the person is exerted indrawing the two parts A B together, and thus produces a friction uponthe rope C in exact proportion to the persons weight.

In fire-escapes heretofore made frictional devices have been used forregulating the descent of the person; but there has been no means bywhich the amount of friction exerted could be automatically regulated bythe weight of the person, and heflce the friction which would allow oneperson to descend too rapidly would not allow a much lighter person todescend at all. By means of the construction here shown each personautomatically regulates the friction according to the weight as soon asthe person attaches the rope J around the body and begins the descent.

The stop-lever H is to be operated only when the person descending uponthe rope C desires to stop at any point. The weight of the persondescending being made to regulate he necessary friction for the descent,there is no need of the lever, unless the person wishes to stop on theway down before the ground is reached. The inner end of this lever ismade cam-shaped,

so that it bears against the outer side of the part A of the frictionalframe when a direct downward pull is exerted upon it.

In Fig. 4 is shown a slight modification, in which the same pivotedfrictional frame A B and the same clamping lever H is used; but thecombined bearing and the pulleys upon the side of the partB have beendispensed with. In this case the rope I has been connected directly tothe-lever H, so that the weight of the person descending is broughtdirectly upon the lever H, and this lever clamps the two parts A B indirect proportion to the weight. In both cases, however, the weight ofthe person automatically regulates the descent from the building.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 only two frictional rollers are shown; but, if sodesired, three frictional rollers may be employed, two of them beingplaced upon the part A and the other upon the part B, as shown in dottedlines.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. I11 a fire escape, thecombination of the which automatically regulates the friction of 30 thetwo parts A B upon the rope O, substantially as described.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination of the frictional frame composed ofthe two parts A B, pivoted together, the rope G, which passes throughthe two parts of the frame, the combined guide and bearing provided withpulleys at one end, the lever H, pivoted in the bearing, and the rope J,which passes around the sides of the part Aand automatically regulatesthe friction upon the rope G, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. WVESTBROOK.

\Vitnesses:

EDM. P. ELLIs, A. S. PATTISON.

